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Monday, October 8, 2012

Google Nexus 7 !!

With a capable quad-core processor, an excellent display, and an affordable price, the Google Nexus 7provides great value in a compact 7-inch package. It's also running the latest version of Android, Jelly Bean, which brings a smooth and, dare we say, "buttery" user experience.

Install Adobe FlashOne of the major differences between Apple's iOS and Android used to be the latter's support for Flash. Unfortunately, it's no longer the case--Adobe is stopping development of Flash on Android mobile browsers and there's no official Flash support on Jelly Bean, too. This means that you won't be able to find it on the Google Play store while using the Nexus 7.

However, you can download the Flash apk from XDA Developers and install the app manually. Do note that you'll first have to go to Settings > Security and check "Unknown sources" before you can install the apk.

Since the preloaded Chrome browser on the Nexus 7 doesn't support Flash, you'll also need to install a compatible browser, such as Firefox Beta.

Unlock the screen rotationBy default, the screen of the Nexus 7 is locked into portrait mode, which is probably most appropriate for its 7-inch form factor. The screen orientation does change to the landscape mode in games. However, if you prefer the screen to rotate with the tablet orientation, you can unlock it just by pulling down the notification bar and clicking on the Lock icon beside Settings.

Click on the Lock icon beside the Settings icon to unlock the screen rotation.(Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

Add a camera launcherDue to cost constraints, the Nexus 7 lacks a rear shooter--it only has a front-facing 1.2MP camera that's intended for video calls. As a result, there's no camera app on the Nexus 7. You can, however, add a camera launcher icon to the tablet--simply install the Camera Launcher for Nexus 7 from MoDaCo.

The camera icon appears after you install the app. (Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

It would be quite awkward taking pictures with the front-facing camera, but it's a workaround if you really need the functionality.

Take screenshots

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) finally added the ability to take screenshots within the OS and this feature is present on the Nexus 7. To capture what's on the screen, just hold the power and volume down buttons together for a couple of seconds. You'll get both visual and audio cues to tell you that the screenshot has been successfully taken. You can then open and view the screenshot immediately from the Notification bar.

It's easy to capture screenshots on the Nexus 7. Simply hold down the power and volume down buttons.(Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

Turn it into an e-book readerThe Nexus 7 isn't as light and thin as E Ink-based readers, such as the Amazon Kindle and the Nook. But compared with 10-inch tablets, it's handy enough to serve as a pretty good e-book reader--you can hold it with one hand for hours. It doesn't come close to the Kindle in terms of battery life, but at around 9 hours, it's relatively good for a tablet. Besides, you'll be able to view books and magazines in full color on the Nexus 7, something which you can't do on the Kindle.

There are quite a few e-book apps in Google Play, but our favorite is Aldiko Book Reader, which supports a variety of e-book formats. Catalogs to free book sources are also included in the app. Of course, if you have already built a library around one of the major e-book platforms, you can likely find the Android apps for them on Google Play, too. For instance, Amazon provides a Kindle app that is able to sync your e-books across multiple devices.

Bring your maps with youWith a capable quad-core processor, an excellent display, and an affordable price, the Google Nexus 7provides great value in a compact 7-inch package. It's also running the latest version of Android, Jelly Bean, which brings a smooth and, dare we say, "buttery" user experience.

Install Adobe FlashOne of the major differences between Apple's iOS and Android used to be the latter's support for Flash. Unfortunately, it's no longer the case--Adobe is stopping development of Flash on Android mobile browsers and there's no official Flash support on Jelly Bean, too. This means that you won't be able to find it on the Google Play store while using the Nexus 7.

However, you can download the Flash apk from XDA Developers and install the app manually. Do note that you'll first have to go to Settings > Security and check "Unknown sources" before you can install the apk.

Since the preloaded Chrome browser on the Nexus 7 doesn't support Flash, you'll also need to install a compatible browser, such as Firefox Beta.

Unlock the screen rotationBy default, the screen of the Nexus 7 is locked into portrait mode, which is probably most appropriate for its 7-inch form factor. The screen orientation does change to the landscape mode in games. However, if you prefer the screen to rotate with the tablet orientation, you can unlock it just by pulling down the notification bar and clicking on the Lock icon beside Settings.

Click on the Lock icon beside the Settings icon to unlock the screen rotation.(Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

Add a camera launcherDue to cost constraints, the Nexus 7 lacks a rear shooter--it only has a front-facing 1.2MP camera that's intended for video calls. As a result, there's no camera app on the Nexus 7. You can, however, add a camera launcher icon to the tablet--simply install the Camera Launcher for Nexus 7 from MoDaCo.

The camera icon appears after you install the app. (Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

It would be quite awkward taking pictures with the front-facing camera, but it's a workaround if you really need the functionality.

Take screenshotsAndroid 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) finally added the ability to take screenshots within the OS and this feature is present on the Nexus 7. To capture what's on the screen, just hold the power and volume down buttons together for a couple of seconds. You'll get both visual and audio cues to tell you that the screenshot has been successfully taken. You can then open and view the screenshot immediately from the Notification bar.

It's easy to capture screenshots on the Nexus 7. Simply hold down the power and volume down buttons.(Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

Turn it into an e-book readerThe Nexus 7 isn't as light and thin as E Ink-based readers, such as the Amazon Kindle and the Nook. But compared with 10-inch tablets, it's handy enough to serve as a pretty good e-book reader--you can hold it with one hand for hours. It doesn't come close to the Kindle in terms of battery life, but at around 9 hours, it's relatively good for a tablet. Besides, you'll be able to view books and magazines in full color on the Nexus 7, something which you can't do on the Kindle.

There are quite a few e-book apps in Google Play, but our favorite is Aldiko Book Reader, which supports a variety of e-book formats. Catalogs to free book sources are also included in the app. Of course, if you have already built a library around one of the major e-book platforms, you can likely find the Android apps for them on Google Play, too. For instance, Amazon provides a Kindle app that is able to sync your e-books across multiple devices.

Bring your maps with youGoogle Maps now has an offline mode, which allows users to grab maps while their devices are connected to the Internet. It's as simple as opening the Maps app and selecting "Make available offline" from the options.

(Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

Connect the Nexus 7 to USB storage devicesWith just 8GB of internal storage on the base model, you may find yourself having to ration the content you load on the Nexus 7. The good news is that with the right app and an inexpensive cable, you will be able to connect the tablet to an external USB storage device such as flash drives and SD cards.

First, you'll need a USB OTG (On-The-Go) cable, which can be bought cheaply from online retailers such as Amazon or DealExtreme. This cable connects the micro-USB port on one end and has a normal-sized USB port on the other hand, where you can plug in a USB storage device.

Next, you'll need to get the Nexus Media Importer app from HomeySoft, which allows the Nexus 7 to view and copy files from the attached device. Note that it doesn't work the other way round--you can't copy files from the Nexus 7 to the external storage device. While the app should work with most USB storage devices (as long as it's formatted as FAT16, FAT32 or NTFS), there's no guarantee. We recommend that you try the app first with your USB devices--the app isn't free, but Google Play allows full refunds within 15 minutes of purchase.

Of course, if you're open to rooting your Nexus 7, you can do this without paying for an app. There are many guides out there on how to root the Nexus 7, including this version by CNET UK.

Google Maps now has an offline mode, which allows users to grab maps while their devices are connected to the Internet. It's as simple as opening the Maps app and selecting "Make available offline" from the options.(Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

Connect the Nexus 7 to USB storage devicesWith just 8GB of internal storage on the base model, you may find yourself having to ration the content you load on the Nexus 7. The good news is that with the right app and an inexpensive cable, you will be able to connect the tablet to an external USB storage device such as flash drives and SD cards.

First, you'll need a USB OTG (On-The-Go) cable, which can be bought cheaply from online retailers such as Amazon or DealExtreme. This cable connects the micro-USB port on one end and has a normal-sized USB port on the other hand, where you can plug in a USB storage device.

Next, you'll need to get the Nexus Media Importer app from HomeySoft, which allows the Nexus 7 to view and copy files from the attached device. Note that it doesn't work the other way round--you can't copy files from the Nexus 7 to the external storage device. While the app should work with most USB storage devices (as long as it's formatted as FAT16, FAT32 or NTFS), there's no guarantee. We recommend that you try the app first with your USB devices--the app isn't free, but Google Play allows full refunds within 15 minutes of purchase.

Of course, if you're open to rooting your Nexus 7, you can do this without paying for an app. There are many guides out there on how to root the Nexus 7, including this version by CNET UK.

Source: CNET

Regards,

Pankaj Goyal (Pankaj.Goyal.21@facebook.com)

With a capable quad-core processor, an excellent display, and an affordable price, the Google Nexus 7provides great value in a compact 7-inch package. It's also running the latest version of Android, Jelly Bean, which brings a smooth and, dare we say, "buttery" user experience.

Install Adobe FlashOne of the major differences between Apple's iOS and Android used to be the latter's support for Flash. Unfortunately, it's no longer the case--Adobe is stopping development of Flash on Android mobile browsers and there's no official Flash support on Jelly Bean, too. This means that you won't be able to find it on the Google Play store while using the Nexus 7.

However, you can download the Flash apk from XDA Developers and install the app manually. Do note that you'll first have to go to Settings > Security and check "Unknown sources" before you can install the apk.

Since the preloaded Chrome browser on the Nexus 7 doesn't support Flash, you'll also need to install a compatible browser, such as Firefox Beta.

Unlock the screen rotationBy default, the screen of the Nexus 7 is locked into portrait mode, which is probably most appropriate for its 7-inch form factor. The screen orientation does change to the landscape mode in games. However, if you prefer the screen to rotate with the tablet orientation, you can unlock it just by pulling down the notification bar and clicking on the Lock icon beside Settings.

Click on the Lock icon beside the Settings icon to unlock the screen rotation.(Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

Add a camera launcherDue to cost constraints, the Nexus 7 lacks a rear shooter--it only has a front-facing 1.2MP camera that's intended for video calls. As a result, there's no camera app on the Nexus 7. You can, however, add a camera launcher icon to the tablet--simply install the Camera Launcher for Nexus 7 from MoDaCo.

The camera icon appears after you install the app.(Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

It would be quite awkward taking pictures with the front-facing camera, but it's a workaround if you really need the functionality.

Take screenshotsAndroid 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) finally added the ability to take screenshots within the OS and this feature is present on the Nexus 7. To capture what's on the screen, just hold the power and volume down buttons together for a couple of seconds. You'll get both visual and audio cues to tell you that the screenshot has been successfully taken. You can then open and view the screenshot immediately from the Notification bar.

It's easy to capture screenshots on the Nexus 7. Simply hold down the power and volume down buttons.(Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

Turn it into an e-book readerThe Nexus 7 isn't as light and thin as E Ink-based readers, such as the Amazon Kindle and the Nook. But compared with 10-inch tablets, it's handy enough to serve as a pretty good e-book reader--you can hold it with one hand for hours. It doesn't come close to the Kindle in terms of battery life, but at around 9 hours, it's relatively good for a tablet. Besides, you'll be able to view books and magazines in full color on the Nexus 7, something which you can't do on the Kindle.

There are quite a few e-book apps in Google Play, but our favorite is Aldiko Book Reader, which supports a variety of e-book formats. Catalogs to free book sources are also included in the app. Of course, if you have already built a library around one of the major e-book platforms, you can likely find the Android apps for them on Google Play, too. For instance, Amazon provides a Kindle app that is able to sync your e-books across multiple devices.

Bring your maps with youGoogle Maps now has an offline mode, which allows users to grab maps while their devices are connected to the Internet. It's as simple as opening the Maps app and selecting "Make available offline" from the options.

(Credit: Screenshot by Vincent Chang/CNET)

Connect the Nexus 7 to USB storage devicesWith just 8GB of internal storage on the base model, you may find yourself having to ration the content you load on the Nexus 7. The good news is that with the right app and an inexpensive cable, you will be able to connect the tablet to an external USB storage device such as flash drives and SD cards.

First, you'll need a USB OTG (On-The-Go) cable, which can be bought cheaply from online retailers such as Amazon or DealExtreme. This cable connects the micro-USB port on one end and has a normal-sized USB port on the other hand, where you can plug in a USB storage device.

Next, you'll need to get the Nexus Media Importer app from HomeySoft, which allows the Nexus 7 to view and copy files from the attached device. Note that it doesn't work the other way round--you can't copy files from the Nexus 7 to the external storage device. While the app should work with most USB storage devices (as long as it's formatted as FAT16, FAT32 or NTFS), there's no guarantee. We recommend that you try the app first with your USB devices--the app isn't free, but Google Play allows full refunds within 15 minutes of purchase.

Of course, if you're open to rooting your Nexus 7, you can do this without paying for an app. There are many guides out there on how to root the Nexus 7, including this version by CNET UK. Source: CNETRegards,Pankaj Goyal.